A reboot of classic '70s drama Little House on the Prairie is underway

Little House on the Prairie was a hit long-running '70s series set in the late 19th Century in the struggling farming community of Minnesota, based on the novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It starred Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert and ran for more than 200 episodes between 1974-1983.

EW reports that unlike the other "little" (Little Women) of that era, Little House on the Prairie has been left surprisingly undeveloped for modern TV audiences, although interest in the series has never disappeared.

Ingalls Wilder's novels were turned into a half-hearted mini-series on The Wonderful World of Disneyand it was the subject of a touring musical in the late 2000s, but the announcement is the first meaningful modern adaptation.

Producer Tripe Friendly told EW recently: "Fans are eager to see Little House on the Prairie come back to the screen, and we agree the time is right. We feel optimistic that this will happen.”

Former Little House on the Prairie star Alison Arngrim, who played snobbish Nellie Oleson, is keen to be involved: "I’m just the right age to play Mrs Oleson... I’m totally there. I have no shame!”

Bonanza star Michael Landon, who played the head of the family Charles Ingalls, died in 1991, but Melissa Gilbert, who starred as the author Laura "Half-Pint" Ingalls, is active.

Co-producer Anonymous Content is a thriving creative force, with the likes of Homecoming, Dickinson and 13 Reasons Why in its catalogue.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Little House series of novels are available to buy on Amazon,

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